The Nuclear Family Pt. 03

I sighed, "No. As much as you have done to me, declared yourself my enemy, sued me for unfounded actions, I have not actively looked at any opportunities to take work away from Total Build. After winning most of those bids, I was happily surprised when we discovered that we were competing against you."

"But you're still taking fucking work away from us!" blurted out Brad Jr.

I laughed. William was still in my arms and looked up at me, smiling when he heard me laughing. Without a word, I handed William over to Amy, who was standing and watching. I leaned over, kissed her, asking quietly if she would take William into the office and out of this confrontation.

She kissed me back, smiled, then looked over at her sister before grinning further, walking away with our son on her hip. On the way past the reception desk, she gave our receptionist a look. The receptionist stood following Amy, leaving me along with my family and ex-wife.

"So, what is it that you want?" I asked my father, crossing my arms over my chest.

He studied my face, his demeanour changing now he had me alone. "I want to speak with your boss, the owner of ALRO Homes. I want to talk with him man to man and tell him that my deceitful son is taking our clients. I want to tell him that you're a disgrace to the industry and have nothing to do with us. I will tell him that if he fires you and works with us, we will make much more money together than he ever could with you. When I speak with him, I will bring the full force of my family to bear, showing him that you are nothing. I will see you, along with that whore of a wife and bastard of a son you have, are living in the gutter as I told you I would."

I raised both eyebrows smirking. I wondered if he was losing his sanity as he got older and things just didn't go his way. He took a breath and kept going.

"You think you have the upper hand here, boy, but you don't. I have years of experience, and while you think this business is doing well, when I talk with your boss and owner. And make no doubt that I will, now I know you work here. I will make them see that MY experience and MY team will far outperform anything YOU can provide!"

My father smiled the smile of someone who was just hanging onto reality.

"When I talk with them, they will easily see everything you learned from me. I can do it better, faster and for more profit than you can. I will see you bankrupt and thrown out of here. ALRO Homes will throw you away, and you will again beg me to give you the scraps from my table."

He delivered the rant with a passion bordering on maniacal. It came across as utterly desperate. The problem was what had become absolute hatred of me in his mind clouded his better business judgement.

"So...' I asked. "If that's what you're going to do, what makes you think I will allow you to talk to the owner of ALRO Homes?" I took a smug sip of the coffee in my hands.

"You have no choice," my father replied, returning the smile. "Now I know you're here. I will start a campaign against you. I will take you apart piece by piece. I will meet with them and ensure they understand who and what you are."

I laughed in his face. "So let me get this straight. You're willing to lie, sow distrust and generally be a prick. Do you hate me that much because I wouldn't go along with being cuckolded by the fuckwit and the slut standing beside you? By the way, is that my niece in that pram, or does it belong with Chris?" I smirked.

No one said anything. I laughed as it told me it wasn't a blood relation.

"It doesn't matter," My father snapped back at me. "Brad is raising Colleen, which is exactly what you should have done."

I looked at all of them, and I felt a tiny sympathy for my older brother for the first time. He had been cuckolded by another man and now had to raise another man's child. Brad Jnr, for his part, looked embarrassed, as did Georgia, as they followed the exchange between my father and I.

I laughed again but held up my hand a second later as the three started to bristle.

"Sorry, but I find the entire situation ironic. For that alone, I'll let you meet with both the owners for a couple of minutes," I told my father. "I don't think you will have much chance to convince them with your obvious lies, but it should be entertaining at the very least. Just give me a couple of moments to arrange it."

I don't think they expected that, but without saying another word, I turned, walking into the back office as they sat back down, whispering. I don't think they anticipated me to give in to their demands. Just inside the door, Amy was sitting in an office chair, feeding William while talking with Jenny, our receptionist.

"I've told everyone to come in through the warehouse entrance this morning while..." Jenny looked at Amy then back to me, hesitating. "While your family are in the reception area."

"It's all good, Jenny," I responded, smirking at my wife. "I've agreed to let them spend a few minutes with the owners of ALRO Homes. I told them I'd let them plead their case as to why I should be fired for being incompetent, then why ALRO Homes should partner with Total Build with their years of experience..."

Amy looked at me funny for a moment, then smiled.

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yep." I smiled back.

"Robbie, you realise if we do this, your family and even Georgia might put two and two together about our situation?" she frowned.

I sighed, "Yeah, Brad wouldn't, but Dad might. Are you worried about the ownership of ARLO becoming public?"

Amy sat and thought for a moment. She moved under her breastfeeding shawl, suddenly holding William, and gently burped him.

She shook her head, "Now that we are married and have William, not like I used to. But thinking about it, even if your father figured out the connection to ALRO, it doesn't mean that he will figure out that I am the owner. He will likely think I work there and used my influence to get us started."

"Perhaps," I said, "Anyway, how about we get Cameron? He can introduce us?"

"Good idea." My wife said, grinning.

Not five minutes later. Cameron walked out, greeting my father, my brother along with Georgia. Moments later, Amy and I walked out holding hands, the three interlopers frowned.

"Everyone," Cameron said, "I would like to introduce you to the owners of ALRO Homes, Robbie and Amy Other. These two are some of the best company owners I have ever met and some of the most switched-on people I have ever encountered."

"Fuck." Brad swore, looking at the room with renewed eyes. "You own this place. How? it has got to be worth millions?"

Amy spoke in a very professional tone, "This facility is worth about two point five million. Our other facility is worth a little over three million. In the last twelve months, in our maiden year, ALRO Homes have a turnover of just over fifteen million with an eight per cent profit margin. As you know, our product is gaining a reputation for extreme quality in the market. Thanks to our CEO, our timeframes are always met, and our investors are thrilled with the growth they see in ALRO homes."

"Investors?" Brad Jr queried.

"Yes, investors." I replied, "ALRO Homes has external investment, and our investment team jumped at the chance to get us set up once we had our business plan in place. Even today, they have an input into our development, helping establish connections and giving us crucial guidance. At the moment, we are looking into a large degree of expansion over the next few years. This means new products, new markets and an approach that makes our product look superior to anything, anywhere in the world. That includes anything that Total Build can produce."

My brother just looked at me. Georgia's eyes were wide as she tried to keep her son busy, But my Dad scowled.

"You little fuck," my father suddenly spat. "So you think you're funny because you own this hovel. Are you that good that you can fuck this family over? Well, you can shove your little company up your ass until the sun doesn't shine. Do you think we've come at you so far? I'm going to ruin you!"

"Seriously Dad." I said, using his fatherly title in conversation with him for the first time in years. He stopped hearing me say that. "Look, in all these years, you rant and rave, you cry about how I should have just gone on with life under your thumb. You've threatened me repeatedly that you'll 'ruin me' availing yourself of nothing but wasting your time and money.

He started to reply, but I interrupted, tired of them.

"Shut your pie hole, old man," I snarled suddenly, making them all look at me. "Have I taken Total Builds market share? Hell yes I have, and your idle threats are just that. Idle.

"Each threat you make, I respond to before you can get traction, but I don't need to tell you because you'll never see me coming."

"You once told me I should have accepted being cuckolded by one of the dumbest fuckwits in the world," I said, glaring at my older brother. My brother didn't comprehend. I'm sure he was still trying to get the concept; I was a CEO.

I kept going at my father; our gazes met as I continued my verbal barrage.

"You demanded that I accept a whore for a wife that not only got pregnant with my brother's baby while married to me but also had the child of her sister-in-law's fiancé after a swinger's party. Can you, for one moment, put your hatred of me aside, quit playing your little power trip game, and look at things from the outside for once.

"Get over yourself and understand that from the outside looking in, all of you look like a huge incestuous gang bang society.

"And while you feign hurt at what I did, you now have less than twenty per cent of the total accessible market you had before everything happened. You have had to move houses three times in two years to keep the doors to the business open. Any quality builder on the Gold Coast steers clear of you as they don't know when they will get paid. I also know you are on your final notice to keep your Bunnings Trade account up to date, or you lose access to those resources."

My father's eyes went wide.

"Yes, Dad," I said, emphasising the word. "I'm not stupid like your other idiot son. I've kept an eye on Total Build over the years since I left. I put a lot of effort into that place, and despite my feelings towards all of you, I am sad to see the place fallen so far."

"Fuck you, cuck!" my brother retorted. "We would have been fine if you didn't start taking our work."

I laughed, "Listen Brad, aside from the fact I need to get you a mirror to show you a cuck," I shook my head.

My brother was raising another man's baby as his own, and he wanted to call me a cuck when I walked away from that same scenario with the same woman no less. I took a glance at Georgia, who was trying to avoid looking at anyone while playing with her son and rocking her daughter backwards and forwards in the pram.

I couldn't help it. It was time to show them I knew much more than they thought.

"But even before we started ALRO homes, your market share had dropped by over thirteen per cent. From a sales perspective, I would assume that the deals you have on the table are thanks to our father bringing his 'experience' to the table and not your ability to sell. How many of your deals did I fix before I left?"

We all looked at each other for a few moments awkwardly.

Dad appeared to recover some of his blusters.

"Listen Robert. I want you to back off. I want you to leave our business alone. Today I came here thinking we may be able to partner, but knowing you own this place, I don't think I could partner with such a disappointment. But now the gloves are off. You're public enemy number one. I'll see this place ruined, you homeless, and your children cursing you into the grave."

I shook my head. He was still delusional. He stood and turned to leave but wanted a parting shot at me.

"You could have avoided all of this, Robert; you could have been happy, You could have had Georgia and your own kids by now, but now I'm going to see to your misery."

He obviously didn't see Amy, and I walk in happily with William.

"I guess...." I started to say, but Amy held up her hand.

"Listen Brad," my wife said, talking for the first time in the conversation. "You have just threatened us, again. You have made promises again and again. But look around you. You see all that ALRO Homes is. You must have some idea of our backing, that we are three times what Total Build was at its peak, and that is when my husband worked for you making your lives easy because he did the work.

"You should know that you need to get your head out of your own ass. This is the second time I have heard you threaten us with the equivalent of thermo-nuclear war. You are already in violation of a restraining order. You also need to know that our reception security cameras have recorded this entire conversation, so we will be forwarding it to our lawyer. I think you've met George."

My father was startled for a moment as he recalled his last dealings with George. He lost badly. The matter brought before the court was dismissed before my father could even submit testimony.

Amy continued, her voice taking on the hard edge of the ALRO CEO. "If we receive even one single threat. If ARLO Homes feels threatened or gets any bad publicity from an unknown source... Know that our investigators are very, very good. If we find that Total Build or yourselves are involved, we will reciprocate. Know your ass will be hurting from the fucking we give you before you can turn your head and cough at your next prostate exam.

"Don't test us, Brad. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go and check on our son and make sure that he knows how much his parents love him." She again turned and kissed me. "See you inside, dear. Cameron, let's let Robbie take out the trash today."

With that, Amy walked back into the offices with Cameron, leaving me with my family and ex-wife. I have to say the expression on their faces was worth the price of admission. All three jaws could easily have been on the floor.

"Well, you heard her," I said, smiling. Never mess with my wife. "Time for you to leave."

I was ready for anything. My father still had a wild look in his eyes, my older brother while a dumb as a fence post, sorry I'm insulting fence posts there. Well, Brad had a strange wild look in his eyes too.

Dad looked at me another moment, snorted, turned on his heels and walked out without another word. Brad Jnr turned, trying to act like our father, starting to walk around me, but stopped, looked at me, turning the other way to keep out of my reach. I smirked. I suppose even stupid people can learn. Georgia passed him Brad Jr the second, father and son walking out saying nothing leaving just Georgia and me.

Georgia rocked the pram with her daughter backwards and forwards for a moment. But then Georgia she started picking up toys. I just stood there, arms crossed. At one point, she picked up a book and looked at me, a tear in her eye.

"I'm sorry, Robbie," she said simply.

"Sorry Georgia? what are you sorry about?" I asked. I wasn't quite angry; the years had somewhat dulled that sensation about her.

She looked over at the security camera in the corner, then shrugged.

"If it weren't for me, you would still be a family. None of them will say it, but they all blame me and treat me like a social pariah if we're not in public. I don't think your parents would even talk to me if I didn't have the kids."

She pulled a tissue and wiped her eyes.

"Look at the way they just walked out on me now. Most of their anger is directed at me as much as they spit venom at you. Your father treats me like filth. Your brother barely acknowledges me. Your sister slaps me almost every time she sees me; honestly, neither of them like each other very much. About the only thing holding them together is your mother. She is desperate, Robbie. She misses you so much. She also blames me for being such a slut..."

She glanced up at me with a wan smile.

"Yes, Robbie, I can admit it. I have been a slut. I do not deserve you. I fucked Brad behind your back and gave birth to a child that wasn't yours. For that alone, I am forever tainted with the scarlet letter. But then I fucked your sister's fiancé. It didn't matter at the time that I had her permission. That I got pregnant by him is all she needs to hate me."

I understood at that moment, that Georgia was broken. She looked into my eyes, sorrow etched across her features.

"And look at you," she said, trying to change the topic. "A successful business owner doing much better than your family's company ever did."

"You also married a beautiful woman." She said more quietly.

She hesitated, seeing me ready for an attack. "Yes, Robbie, I know Amy. She always had a crush on you from the moment we started dating. She never had eyes for anyone else, so it does not surprise me that you are married to her. I can understand that happening the moment I threw you away."

She was crying now, softly, but I just stood there. She neither asked for nor received help.

"And you have your son now," Georgia said. "Something I had denied you. But if it makes you feel any better, seeing him in your arms this morning felt like a knife pushing into my gut. Knowing that should have been me giving you that experience. But knowing I was too selfish, slutting myself out."

Georgia sniffed, and there was an awkward moment of dead air before she continued, picking up the nappy bag and hooking it over the pram.

"Robbie, I am not happy. The only reason I haven't done something drastic is my children," she gave me a small smile. "I am miserable except for them and living in a kind of hell treated like shit by everyone around me. If that gives you some small matter of satisfaction, then I give it to you gladly as compensation for what we have put you through."

"Georgia..." I started to say, moved by what came across as remorse.

"No Robbie," she held up her hand, "I don't want your sympathy. I just want you to know. Your family are nothing without you... I am nothing without you..."

She finished with a whisper. "Don't let your father get away with anything. Despite Amy's warning, I fear the hate they have against you to hide their failures will override any logical thinking."

She started pushing the pram towards the door and stopped as the sliding door opened for her, looking back at me.

"Robbie Other, you are the kindest man I have ever met; you are intelligent, hardworking and honest. My sister is the luckiest woman on the planet." She looked at me. "Treat her right, Robbie. She may not like me, but I still love her, almost as much as I still love you..."

Then Georgia once again walked out of my life. I must have stood there for five minutes before I felt Amy's arms encircle me.

"She's right. I am the luckiest woman on the planet."

I turned and kissed my wife, "and I am the luckiest man."

Over the next few months, we heard a few rumours about our product, and suddenly Total Build was also trying to bid for every piece of work we were. George quickly quashed the rumours because we knew where they came from. In retaliation to Total Build's bidding for our work, I made sure that ALRO Homes looked at every project that could compete with Total Build seriously. If there was a decent margin in it, we went for it; if not, we let them have the scraps from our table.

We also had the first trip Amy took overseas since the New Zealand incident and William's birth. He was now pretty much weaned, and I could feed him what breastmilk he was drinking from the supply Amy gave me. The night before she left, Amy and I made love most of the night, falling asleep satisfied in each other's arms. William and I saw Amy off at the airport, and I double-checked her security escort while she was in the air.